The world became a little dimmer on June 3, 2026, when Kathie Kasperek, 78 years young, left us after a life lived with heart, humor, and unmistakable spirit.

The world became a little brighter in 1947 when Kathie arrived — and a whole lot more interesting. In true Kathie fashion, she made her debut with a twist, surprising her parents, Elaine and Eugene McGuire, by arriving just after her twin sister. For most of us, Kathie was known as the good twin, a title she wore with a mix of pride and mischief. The two were inseparable for a lifetime, navigating every high, low, and sideways turn together, proving that “thick and thin” is not just a saying but a way of life.

On September 12, 1970, Kathie married the love of her life, Brad Kasperek, and together they danced — literally. Whether it was a wedding, a party, or just the kitchen floor, they moved through life in step with each other. In retirement, they poured their hearts into Zebra Gardens, a successful iris business where Brad supplied the logic and Kathie supplied the creativity. (And yes, they both supplied the sweat.)

Before that chapter bloomed, Kathie spent her early years waitressing, decorating cakes, and later worked many dedicated years as a Ward Clerk in the Labor and Delivery Department at LDS Hospital. She had a gift for connecting with people — she could talk to anyone, about anything, for any length of time. She had a wonderful, occasionally warped sense of humor and a legendary ability to turn a short story into an epic saga. If you had somewhere to be, you learned not to ask her a quick question.

Kathie was generous to a fault — the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her back (the one with an M&M character on it) and probably a matching hat, purse, and pair of glasses to go with it. She loved shopping and collected an impressive menagerie of frogs, giraffes, zebras, and other treasures that caught her artistic eye.

And what an artist she was. Kathie was a prize‑winning flower arranger, a painter (using all colors, not just orange, despite rumors), a crocheter, knitter, crafter, and creator of beautiful things in every medium she touched. She enjoyed puzzles, British murder mysteries, and any project that let her imagination run wild.

But above all, her family and her beloved fur babies were her heart. She showed up for every one of us — in good times, bad times, and the “we’re not sure what this is” times — always dressed in a brightly colored, perfectly coordinated outfit with matching glasses and accessories, ready to take care of business.

Kathie leaves behind her siblings Neva Zonn, Kevin McGuire, and Sally Ashcraft; her sister‑in‑law Lori Swenson; her long‑time friend and neighbor Lorraine Selman; along with many nieces and nephews who adored her. They will carry forward her humor, her creativity, her generosity, and the countless memories she sprinkled through their lives.

Kathie is preceded in death by her husband, Brad Kasperek; her sisters Sherry Mathewson and her twin Kristie McGuire; her mother, Elaine McGuire; and her father and stepmother, Eugene and Mona McGuire.

Kathie is surely catching up on her adventures and stories with Brad, their fur babies, her sister Sherry, and her twin Kristie, as well as her momma, her daddy, and her stepmom Mo — a lively crowd she loved dearly. "